Kem Cleaners and the environment

ALBANY, N.Y. – The largest dry cleaning chain in Albany – KEM Cleaners – is back on its feet after consolidating a number of its stores in the region.

The company, which filed for bankruptcy protection two years ago, has adopted dry cleaning practices to limit damage to the environment. KEM ‘s new cleaning system uses a carbon dioxide-based cleaning process. The $200,000 machine was purchased back in May 2008.

Dry cleaning clothes with CO2 is less harmful for both the customer and the environment than older practices. Using CO2 eliminates the use of the harmful solvent perchlorethylene-or perc, which was used for years. In the new process, CO2 is released into an air tight machine and extreme pressure causes the gas to turn to liquid. The machine is then turned until the clothes are cleaned. After the process, the CO2 is recycled.

“Everything that we use is now is biodegradable,” said Dan Henderson, assistant manager at the Pine Hills branch of Kem Cleaners. “We are saving energy and chemicals.”

The nine locations located throughout the Capital Region serve as pickup and drop-off point for customers. The cleaning process occurs at the chain’s headquarters in Schenectady.

In December 2008, Kem Cleaners filed for bankruptcy after a reported $1.15 million debt. They owed money to KeyBank, real estate offices, and National Grid among others according to reports at the time of bankruptcy. The then Greener Cleaners consolidated from 14 store locations to nine. They changed their management and returned to using their previous name, Kem Cleaners. The company also had to lay off some of its 32 employees back in 2008.

The Pine Hills branch, located at Madison Avenue and West Lawrence Street, wasone of the nine to survive the cut. Most of the customers that use this branch, at this site for about seven years, are from the neighborhood and many are from the Saint Rose community.

“I’ve always lived in the area and it’s convenient to drop off and pick up my items before or after work,” said Jeremy Bogan, a customer of Kem Cleaners and vice-president of Undergraduate Admissions at The College of Saint Rose. “I usually get my suits and sport coats done there and occasionally have my dress shirts washed and pressed there.”

Other Kem Cleaners customers include local residents, and employees of state and local government, the local police and fire department, and various other colleges in the area.

A customer can expect to pay around $8 for a sport coat, $15 for a two-piece suit and $17 for a winter jacket, all comparable to what nearby Towne Cleaners charges.

Towne Cleaners, 0.7 mile east of Kem on Madison Avenue, has been operating since 1935 and provides a pickup and delivery service in the tri-city area. They cater to the upscale community in the suburbs. Kem Cleaners accommodates a wider variety of customers on a daily basis.

For 20-year-old Aaron Forgette, a Saint Rose music industry major, said Kem Cleaners is convenient. He has only been a customer for about a month but will continue to use their services because of their friendly staff.

“We really try to make everybody coming through the door feel special and that they are our highest priority both in the store and when we take care of their garments,” said Henderson.

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Stephanie Schuyler

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